Florida Mega Millions Ticket, Worth $36 Million, Voided After No One Claimed It

[OldBill]

A $36 million Mega Millions lottery ticket has been voided after no one came forward to claim it.
The deadline to claim the prize was on Feb. 11, marking the end of a 180-day claim period, according to the Florida Lottery.
The winning ticket was purchased at a Publix in Jacksonville on Aug. 15, with the winning numbers 18-39-42-57-63. The Mega Ball number was 7 with a multiplier of 3x.
The winner has now forfeited the winnings, and the ticket is no longer worth anything, Michelle Griner, a spokesperson with the Florida Lottery, tells PEOPLE.

180 days is 5 months

has to be more to this story possibly she died or was in coma or something else

Other large sums that have gone unclaimed in years past include a $26 million prize in California in 2021 and a Powerball ticket for $77 million that went unclaimed in Georgia in 2011.

[Thefix13]

This is why you always check your pockets before you do the laundry.

Oh and 180 days is not 5 months...

[hehfest]

This is why you always check your pockets before you do the laundry.

Oh and 180 days is not 5 months...

With Chicago Math it is.....Bill knows Chicago Math! Bill knows Math! Bill knows who can't win the lottery!

[str]

Dreams are supposed to be free.

It is just another tax.

And IF you win anything, it is taxed.

Then, all the traps await, like the lawyer you get, the investment helper, etc. etc.

It's a shame they allow it IMO.
Oh, and if you don't spend money on the lottery, you can afford car insurance and when you really need it, you have it, which is kind of like hitting for 5-10k.
But... GL if you play.

[pavyracer]

This is how lottery makes money. They count on the tickets that go unclaimed to keep the proceeds to pay for operating expenses. It's a smart business.

[slayer14]

Lives have been ruined after missing out here

[johnnyvegas13]

Could also b people died and never told anyone they had ticket

[mjsuax13]

They didn’t deserve to win if they are this dumb. Probably did humanity a favor.

[DwightShrute]

This is how lottery makes money. They count on the tickets that go unclaimed to keep the proceeds to pay for operating expenses. It's a smart business.

Lotteries make huge money even if every winning ticket was collected.

Depending on the state, unclaimed winnings go back to the state to charities or things like education.

[pavyracer]

Lotteries make huge money even if every winning ticket was collected.

Depending on the state, unclaimed winnings go back to the state to charities or things like education.

I'd bet you the employees get a cut of a bonus from the unclaimed tickets before it trickles down to education and charities.

[DwightShrute]

I'd bet you the employees get a cut of a bonus from the unclaimed tickets before it trickles down to education and charities.

Maybe. That is interesting. I have never thought of that before. We all know the store who sells a winning ticket gets a tiny percentage of the winnings.

[Da Manster!]

This is how lottery makes money. They count on the tickets that go unclaimed to keep the proceeds to pay for operating expenses. It's a smart business.

Wrong Pavy. That's not how the lottery system works. unclaimed tickets? very rarely does that happen! The lotteries make their monies by sheer volume and numbers (in terms of sales) and they are always way ahead in the black! (like by hundreds of millions dollars). Think of it as a legalized sophisticated ponzi scheme. Lot's of money and revenue coming in, but very little payout or dividends going out! For example, even if someone hits the occasional powerball for 800 million the lottery agencies and their affiliates still make a ginormous profit because they collected well over 3 - 4 billion dollars from all other players that participated but lost! (probably a lot more than that but you get the point I'm trying to make). It's the same thing with rackets like Keno and other games. you get random winners that hit pay dirt, but the house still comes out way ahead from all of those people that don't win. (which far exceeds those that do!)